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burnedgirl (burnedgirl) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2015-04-06 01:35:00

Who: Katniss and Haymitch
When: Mid April
Where: Haymitch’s home
What:Temptations
Rating/Warnings: G? - deals with alcoholism
Status: Complete



Haymitch was sat in his living room staring at the bottles of alcohol sitting on the table in front of him. He’d woken up from a repeat of his family and loved ones being murdered and found the drink sat on his bedside table. He didn’t know why he hadn’t thrown it out immediately instead of moving it to the living room. He did, however, know that it wasn’t right for him to feel so tempted. He’d been clean and sober for so long but waking up with hangovers from the dreams was beginning to grate.

Katniss pushed the door open to Haymitch’s home after a full day at work. “Haymitch? I’m back!” she called out, taking her shoes off and leaving her bag and jacket on the coat stand. Fishing her phone out of the bag, she listened for his response. Frowning when she heard none, she called again, “Haymitch? Where are you?”

Katniss’ voice telling him she was home pulled him out of his reverie and he called out, “Here” but didn’t take his eyes off the bottles in front of him.

“You ok?” Katniss called back, frowning a little as she finished with her bag. There was something in his voice that didn’t sound right. Moving into the living room, she came to a stop when she saw him sat in front of the bottles. “Haymitch?” she asked, a worried tone creeping into her voice. The bottles all looked full, so she didn’t think he’d drunk any and he was sat looking at them in consternation it seemed.

Running a hand through his hair he looked up at her, “Hey sweetheart” he said, “I didn’t drink anything yet. I woke up and they were just there. I’ve pretty much been staring at them ever since”

Katniss watched him, worried by what he said. He'd said 'yet'. Marching over, she grabbed two bottles by the neck and went straight to the kitchen. Setting them on the sink, she started unscrewing the top of one of the bottles with the sole intention of tipping the contents down the sink.

Standing up he followed her into the kitchen, leaning against the counter he watched her. "Think it says something that I wasn't able to do that?" he said, "Maybe turning into the dream version of me is inevitable" Yes, Haymitch was feeling sorry for himself and on a downer thanks to the dreams. He wasn't as unaffected as he always claimed.

“Yes,” Katniss replied directly as the second bottle finished emptying. “And no,” she put the bottles on the side of the sink and headed back to the living room to get the others. “We’re not destined to be what we are in our Dreams. You told me that,” she told him on the way back to the sink to continue emptying.

“Maybe it’s true, for you. I’ve already been an alcoholic perhaps I’m just kidding myself that I’m a recovered one” he sighed, running a hand over his face, “I wake up with a hangover anyway, might as well get to do the fun part too”

“It’s true for everyone!” Katniss turned on him, throwing the bottle in her hands into the sink. It bounced around but luckily didn’t smash. “So what, you give up years of hard work and sobriety because of a few Dreams about people who aren’t us?” she demanded, looking him fiercely in the eyes. “You’re stronger than that and you’re stronger than the Haymitch in my Dreams now pull yourself together and stop the pity party,” she told him, holding him with a stare.

Haymitch stared at her for a moment before he began to laugh, struggling for a few moments to breathe before he regained control of himself, "Well there's nothing like being told what for by an emo teenager to give you a wake up call" he teased her.

Katniss took a deep, slightly shaky breath as she continued to look at him. “I’m not living with a drunkard. If you give in then what’s to stop me?” she told him. “I don’t want to fall apart Haymitch. I don’t want to live with that feeling of dread and hopelessness and fear that I wake up with every morning,” her voice cracked. “This,” she reached back and grabbed a bottle to hold up between them. “Is about more than just you.”

Taking a step forward he grasped the bottle and used it to tug her towards him, wrapping an arm around her. “I’m here kiddo” he said, hand on her head musing up her hair, “I won’t let you fall apart I promise. I just need a little kick sometimes okay? I think you might be the one who can do that for me”

“Even if it means emptying bottles every day,” Katniss told him genuinely as she sighed, dropping her head onto his shoulder and letting go of the bottle to wrap her arms around him. She’d do that to keep them both sane if that’s what it took.